Exploring Ontario in the Winter - Bed and Breakfasting at
Nicholyn Farms - A Wonderful Weekend Treat
Driving up to the Nicholyn Farms Bed and Breakfast you get
welcomed by the hearty and healthy aroma of 2,200 organically
raised pigs. This bed and breakfast was our destination for our
quick winter getaway and as soon as we drove up the driveway we
realized we had picked a great place.
Bed and breakfasts are one of my favourite ways of travelling
since every B&B is unique and usually offers a very personal
experience that includes a nice interaction with the B&B host
and the other guests, much different from the rather anonymous
character of the average motel or hotel chain. Wherever I
travel, I find that every B&B owner has a unique story to tell,
and Nicholyn Farms B&B was another example.
My husband and I must have travelled to more than 20 B&Bs over
the last few years as a home base for an enjoyable weekend
getaway. We have stayed in many family-run bed and breakfasts
all throughout Ontario and almost always had a really positive
experience.
Bed and breakfasting in Canada in somewhat different from the
United States since Canadian B&Bs are usually smaller, have
fewer guest rooms and there is more direct interaction with the
owner/ host. Many Canadian bed and breakfasts have between one
and three guest bedrooms with most of the owners living in the
same house. As a result, bed and breakfasting in Canada is a
more intimate experience, it is truly like staying in someone's
house. The United States, on the other hand, features more "bed
and breakfast inns", many of which are quite upscale and located
in renovated mansions with a much larger number of guest rooms,
almost along the lines of country boutique hotels.
There are a couple of really helpful websites out there for bed
and breakfast travel in Ontario and Canada: - www.bbcanada.com,
which provides bed and breakfast listings throughout all of
Canada, and - the Ontario Farm and Country Accommodations
Association which lists active farm operations that provide
accommodation to travellers.
After I had completed my research on these websites and
contacted a number of B&B hosts about availability, we selected
the Nicholyn Farms Bed and Breakfast, just about an hour and a
bit north of Toronto, for our late January getaway.
We checked in at the Nicholyn Farms Country Market, where
Nicholyn Farms sells products made from their own pigs which are
raised organically in a bio-secure environment, without growth
hormones or antibiotics. At this market, they also sell produce
and meat products from other local farmers north of Toronto.
Lynda, the owner, explained that their country market sells a
whole range of locally grown meats, such as pork, chicken, beef,
lamb, turkey, rabbit, goat, cornish hens and even more exotic
locally produced varieties such as elk, emu and buffalo. During
the growing season they feature fresh certified organic produce
from local vegetable and fruit growers, and their popular
organic pork products are shipped to people as far away as
Ottawa.
At just an hour's drive from Toronto, Nicholyn Farms was the
perfect getaway for us. It is located in a beautifully restored
farmhouse whose original portion dates back to 1872. The Van
Casteren family completely renovated the farmstead in 1996 and
won the top prize for "Most Improved Farmstead in Simcoe County".
Lynda mentioned that her B&B has hosted guests from all over the
world from as far away as the Netherlands, England, the United
States, Japan, Australia, Chile and Peru. Many of their European
guests stay for 5 days or more since their location is halfway
between two major Ontario attractions: Algonquin Park and
Niagara Falls, with Toronto easily accessible for day trips.
Our room was the cozy "Forest Room" which was located on the
second storey and featured 4 beds, perfect for us 3 overnight
vacationers. The space under the roof overlooking the farmland
was such a welcome quiet sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of
the big city. Nicholyn Farms features two other guest bedrooms
and all the bedrooms have their own private bathrooms.
This morning we sat down to a wonderful homemade breakfast, that
started off with a beautiful assortment of fresh fruit,
including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, green and
blue grapes, pineapple, and melons. The Van Casteren's buy their
fruit at a special fruit market and the flavour of the fruit is
indeed much stronger and sweeter than the fruit found commonly
in supermarkets. Lynda and her trusted assistant Joyce called
all of us guests to come out and have a look at a flock of about
20 wild turkeys that were pecking away on the field behind the
bed and breakfast.
After our wildlife encounter, we continued with a tasty
breakfast of scrambled eggs, organic pork sausages, toast,
homemade pancakes, country preserves and muffins. Portions are
not measured and as a result we had several helpings of each
dish. We had a nice relaxing and very filling breakfast before
we set off on our next adventure for today: snowtubing at
Horseshoe Valley.
Staying at a bed and breakfast usually makes for a beautiful
getaway since you get to relax in the tranquility of a country
home and most B&Bs offer a delicous, filling home-cooked meal
that will keep you nourished for many hours, allowing you to
take full advantage of the activities for the day. It's a
fabulous way to travel.